Drones
by Lorr
Summary: Sheppard's team takes some time to explore a little more of the city. They find more than they expected. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Drones

**Author:** Lorr

**Genre/Rating:** General

**Characters:** Weir, Sheppard, Beckett, McKay, Ford, Teyla, Ronon

**Disclaimer:** The characters and universe do not belong to me. I just like to come and play occasionally.

**Spoilers:** I don't think so, but apologize if there is.

**Background:** I thought it would be interesting to do a little exploration in Atlantis. Reviews are, of course, welcome. Thanks to all of the reviews for my other little efforts. It's nice to know people are reading them.

John Sheppard looked out over the water. He found this isolated sliver of deck near sea level some time ago. Every once in a while, it was nice to get away and think. And, sometimes he liked to be outside when he was doing so. His quarters were restricting, and accessible. He knew Elizabeth sometimes retreated to the balcony outside of Gate Ops, but that was too public. Even though the population of Atlantis was very small, sometimes it was more crowded than he was comfortable with.

Lately, this little refuge had seen a lot of him. He found his way here a once or twice a week, even if it was only for an hour or two. Usually, it was late at night, when few people were around to see him duck through the door. It was close enough to a transporter so that he could get back to Gate Ops quickly if necessary, but far enough from the populated area to be secluded. It also had an unobstructed view of the horizon. If anyone else knew about it, they did not come out when he was here.

The Colonel sat on a chair he'd squirreled there and propped his feet on the low barrier that skirted the edge of the deck. He stared out at the night sky and thought about their latest mission.

The Daedalus was making semi-regular trips to Earth, but it returned to Atlantis loaded with personnel, ordnance and other necessary equipment. She could not bring back much fresh fruit or vegetables. Almost everything had to be frozen, canned or freeze-dried, mostly the latter. The farms and orchards on the mainland were barely established and, as yet, produced little in excess of what was needed there. Trade with other planets yielded some, but not enough to fill the gaps. Consequently, quantities of fresh food were relatively small and disappeared fast, especially now that the number of expedition members had significantly increased. Except for a very short stint in the States for the court martial two plus years ago, fresh produce had been scarce in his life since being posted to Afghanistan. That was a lifetime ago.

Sheppard had taken a team to a farming planet and negotiated a trade for perishables some weeks ago. They had been welcomed and stayed for several days, getting to know the inhabitants. Yesterday, he went back with a team of fifteen, including an agronomist and several men to help collect the harvest. They anticipated returning to Atlantis laden with spring vegetables. The day had started with an almost picnic atmosphere. Yeah, some picnic.

About two thousand people lived on Nalima, P3X759. Lived. They were all gone now. The Wraith had been there, too. How many planets was that? How many planets had been stripped of humans since they had come to Atlantis? How many people had been culled, either trapped in cocoons, waiting to die, or already drained of life. How many that they didn't know about?

He didn't want to count.

Sheppard knew that it wasn't his fault. Not entirely, anyway. He knew that Sumner's interrogation revealed the existence of a fat new feeding ground. He knew that the Wraith were waking up more because of that knowledge than anything he had done. It didn't really help.

There wasn't enough food to sustain their numbers in this galaxy. Not enough generations had gone by to replenish an ever dwindling reserve of humans. Each massive awakening since the first so long ago had reduced the breeding stock a little more, making a full recovery impossible. Now they were waking far too early and the crop was not ready for harvest.

Nalima was the result, along with the other now uninhabited planets, each stripped of her people. Well, not quite. This time, they found bodies. There were dozens of withered shells left after the Wraith fed. Most of the away team had seen death before, but this was something else. The Wraith destroyed the people, town and farms, orchards and crops. Nothing was left. It took them hours to gather and bury the remains. It was very late when they returned to Atlantis the night before.

After getting checked out in the infirmary and washing away the sweat and death Sheppard had gotten little sleep. He imagined the rest of the team suffered the same long night of unbidden ghosts. Their appearance during the day confirmed his suspicion.

His report of the mission was brief, but had taken hours to write. How do you say that one hundred and seventeen men, women and children died horrible deaths and were buried in a mass grave? The headstone was a roughly carved plank that simply stated their number and they once lived on this small planet. No names were known, and only the clothing, length of hair and size of the bodies indicated male or female, adult or child.

He stared at the galactic center that was disappearing into the watery horizon at this time of night. The view was one of the reasons he chose this little refuge. He could get lost in the diving mass of stars and dust lanes. It usually helped him empty all thought and drift. Sheppard was tired but knew sleep would elude him a little longer. He drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. The galaxy continued its march into the ocean as he watched, but did not quite see.

The sound of the door opening brought Sheppard out of his reverie. He turned his head a fraction to see who was invading his solitude. There was enough light to show her features. Elizabeth Weir cautiously stepped through the door and looked around.

"John?" She spoke quietly. Then she saw him. "Hey. What're you doing out here?"

He stood up and pulled the chair around for her. "Nothing, just wanted a few minutes to myself."

"Oh, I'm sorry." His flat statement took her aback. She turned to the door. "I can go."

"No, that's okay. I've been here for a while. Sit. Please." Sheppard pushed the chair forward then straddled the barrier, leaning back against the wall. He looked out at the night.

Elizabeth sat on the offered chair and followed his gaze. After watching for a minute or two she sighed. "It's stunning!"

"I sometimes wonder if that is one of the reasons the Ancients picked this planet."

"You know, I don't think I have ever been out on this side at night. I've never seen it set before." She smiled warmly at him.

"You need to get out more." His voice was subdued.

"Yes, I think I do. What else is there around the city I should see?"

"Lots. I'll take you on a tour." He raised an eyebrow. "Did you need something?"

Now she frowned. He was usually much more at ease with her than this, no matter how bad the day had been. "Are you okay, John?"

Sheppard rubbed the back of his neck and looked at her. "Just tired, I guess."

"I'm sorry, it must have been terrible yesterday. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." He closed his eye and tilted his head back against the wall.

They sat in silence for a long time. Elizabeth watched as the spin of the planet worked its disappearing act on the mass of stars and dust before them. She thought about how easy silence was with John Sheppard. They had become close friends since that day in Antarctica. She realized long ago that their friendship happened very quickly. A firm bond formed between them even before they came to Atlantis.

Elizabeth remembered it was Sheppard, not Sumner, she looked to when the Gate closed down on their arrival the first day. That was an odd thing to do. She had never been able to put her finger on why she had instantly liked and trusted him.

She was startled when he suddenly stood up. He scratched the top of his head and looked at her as if he wanted to say something. It was hard to see his face now. The light from the stars was diminishing quickly as most of the galactic center was gone. But, without saying a word, he turned to stare at the sky and ocean.

Elizabeth was aware he was very reluctant to talk with her about the worst aspects of any mission. Sheppard knew she read every word of every report. And, he also knew McKay tended to fully describe even the most trivial details. McKay had not gone on the visit to Namila yesterday. His interest had quickly waned on their first mission there. No ruins or technology to speak of, so Sheppard left him behind. The Colonel had included only what was necessary in his report. She was aware and more than a little grateful that she was spared the very worst aspects of this one.

"John…"

"How are you doing?" Sheppard interrupted before she could say more. He turned back to her and folded his arms over his chest.

She narrowed her eyes. "I'm fine. Are you trying to change the subject?"

"No. Yes. I just don't want to talk about it. Look, its late and getting a little chilly out here. Let me walk you to your quarters."

Knowing that she would not be able to coax anything out of him, Elizabeth nodded and stood up. She realized how tired she was at that moment. It was time to turn in.

The next morning came all too fast. Elizabeth felt like she had just fallen to sleep when her alarm went off. After a quick shower, she headed for the mess hall to get some breakfast and coffee. She was so grateful for the supply of coffee the Daedalus brought them. And, today was one of those days she would probably need more than she would normally drink.

Less than an hour after the alarm jolted her out of bed, Elizabeth walked into her office. Sheppard was sitting there, looking only marginally better than she felt.

"Looks like you had a good time last night." He grinned at her. "You okay?"

"And, good morning to you, too." She sat behind her desk. "I'm fine, thank you. You're going to the northeast area today, aren't you?"

"Yeah, we've seen almost nothing out there." He fidgeted with his vest zipper. "We need to finish searching the city."

"And, a couple of days poking around here will do you and your team some good. You're taking Lt. Simmons and his team out there, too, aren't you?"

"Yeah, Nalima was supposed to be an easy first mission for him. I want to get him busy, let him and his team settle down before they go off-world again."

She searched his face. "How are you?"

He stood up, suddenly uncomfortable again. "Oh, I'm good. Ready for the briefing?"

"Yeah." She mentally kicked herself as they headed for the conference room.

Sheppard's team started at the top and worked their way down while Simmons began at the bottom floor. Sheppard, McKay, Teyla, Ronon and a couple of technicians moved from room to room in the small tower. As tedious as this process was, they were cautious in their search. There had been enough surprises to make them wary of everything they saw. Sheppard, Teyla or Ronon would enter each room first to check for hazards then they would allow the scientists in.

Most of the tower was accommodations for the citizens of the city. There were also labs, common areas and what might have been storerooms. The new residents thought it might be that the Ancients lived near their work. McKay and the technicians identified a couple of interesting things during the course of the morning, but there was nothing particularly special. They noted the locations and moved on.

Late in the afternoon the team came across a door that would not open for Ronon or Teyla, who arrived at it first. McKay moved up and touched the door control. Nothing happened. He then tried to pry the panel off of the door control but it wouldn't budge.

"Colonel?" McKay looked over his shoulder as Sheppard approached. "This door is stuck. We can't get in."

"Have you checked the crystals?" Sheppard got his answer from McKay's expression. He touched the panel and the door slid open. He raised an eyebrow then shrugged. "Well, maybe you loosened it for me."

It was a larger than normal lab for this tower. The lights came up as Sheppard walked through the door, followed by Ronon and Teyla. They stopped in stunned silence.

"McKay!" Sheppard didn't turn as he called for the physicist.

"What?" McKay walked in. "Oh, my!"

The technicians crowded through the door, pushing McKay inside. They also stopped, mouths hanging open. On a long lab bench in the middle of the room, they saw an array of drones in various states of design and construction. They all approached the bench and circled it. After several seconds, McKay and the technicians turned to control consoles along one wall.

"Is this what I hope it is, Rodney?" Sheppard studied a drone with a single, vertical, flat tail.

"I don't know. Give me a few minutes." McKay and Sullivan, one of the technicians, huddled over a console. They pulled laptops and data pads from backpacks and began to set them up. "And, don't touch anything."

"Wouldn't dream of it." The Colonel withdrew his hand from the drone. He turned and leaned against the bench. A moment later Ronon and Teyla stood beside him.

McKay placed one hand over the ATA sensor to activate the controls, but nothing happened. He wiped the pad with his jacket sleeve and replaced his hand. Again, nothing happened. He closed his eyes and shook his head once in annoyance. Then he looked at Sheppard with a slightly peeved expression. The physicist very much disliked the fact that he did not have the ability to make all of the Ancient technology work.

Sheppard flashed a smile and walked over to the console as McKay moved back, pushing one of the technicians aside.

Ronon frowned at Teyla. He spoke in a low voice. "What's wrong?"

Teyla glanced up. "There are some things only Col. Sheppard can work."

Sheppard stretched out his right hand and passed it about six inches over the pad. The console immediately came to life. He raised an eyebrow at McKay who stared daggers at him.

"You told me not to touch, Rodney." Sheppard held up his hand. He smiled his sweetest at McKay.

"Go stand over there." McKay pointed to a nearby corner then turned back to the console with Sullivan. The other two technicians, Brown and Davis, began checking out the drones.

"These guys are going to be here for a while. We might as well check out the rest of this floor." The Colonel headed for the door with Teyla and Ronon in front of him.

They were barely out the door when McKay's shout brought them back. Sheppard stopped just outside and looked in. The lab was dark, all lights and equipment turned off. He stepped inside and the lights came up again. McKay impatiently pointed at the sensor. Sheppard went over and waved his hand over it and the console came online again. He nodded and hopped up to sit on an empty stretch of bench-top. Then he looked at Teyla and Ronon.

"You two keep going. Lt. Simmons' team should be finishing with the lower floors soon." He glanced at McKay. "Rodney, there may be something else on this floor. You want…"

"Brown, go with them." McKay interrupted. "If you find something interesting, come get me. Don't touch anything."

Brown rolled his eyes as he walked past Teyla. "Yes, Doctor."

An hour later, Sheppard was beginning to feel the lack of sleep and inactivity when Teyla, Ronon and Brown returned. He could see Simmons and his team standing in the corridor outside.

"Anything?"

Teyla shook her head. "No, it appears as if the rest of this level was used as living quarters."

"Lieutenant?"

Simmons poked his head in the door. He was young, but looked like he could take care of himself in a fight. "Not much of interest on the floors below, Sir. We've recorded everything that might warrant further investigation."

Sheppard yawned and checked his watch. He nodded at Teyla, Ronon and Simmons then jerked his head toward the door. "Okay, you all head on back. There's no reason for you to hang around. We'll come when Rodney gets hungry."

"I heard that." McKay glared at a smirking Davis.

The next couple of hours passed with McKay alternately working quietly then grumbling at his technicians. Sheppard occasionally tried to look over their shoulder only to be waved away. He resorted to spending the time pacing, just being bored or reading a paperback his pulled from inside his vest. He learned a while back to bring a book for times like this.

McKay finally straightened and frowned at Sheppard, who had settled on the counter, leaned back and started to doze off.

"Colonel?" McKay raised his voice and Sheppard snapped awake. The physicist appeared at once pleased and frustrated.

"Anything useful?" Sheppard absently rubbed the stubble on his cheek.

"I don't think this is what you hoped for. It looks like it's just a design lab. There isn't enough space or equipment for manufacturing more than a handful of drones at a time." He saw the Colonel's crestfallen expression and held up a finger. "I need you to do something. Come here and sit."

Sheppard slid off the counter.

"Listen we've hit a wall. I've been able to dig out only superficial information. I want you to try something." McKay pointed to the chair in front of the screen and controls he just vacated. "The system won't let us past a certain point, and it's not because it's broken. I want to see if you have any luck."

The Colonel sat down. "What do you want?"

McKay's eyes narrowed in thought. He looked around the room and pointed. "Schematics for that drone."

Sheppard studied the drone for a moment then turned to the control panel, placing his right hand on the sensor. Within seconds, the screen before them began to cycle through complex diagrams and design details of a drone with a single tail.

"Are you getting this?" McKay barked at Sullivan, who was frantically typing commands into a data pad. He pushed Davis out of the way then saw Sheppard had turned around, taking his hand off the control pad. "Don't stop!"

"Relax, Rodney." Sheppard glanced at the still running program. Two or three minutes later, it stopped.

Sullivan nodded eagerly at McKay's unspoken question. "I think I got it all, Doctor."

McKay rubbed his hands together and looked around. "Let's try something else."

"Look, Rodney, it's way past my dinner time. We can come back tomorrow." Sheppard gathered his P-90 and headed for the door. He paused in the doorway, waiting for the others. "Gentlemen?"

"Yes, okay! We'll come back tomorrow." McKay stuffed his laptop into his backpack and almost ran out the door. "Come to think of it, I'm starving. The mess is still open, isn't it?"

Sheppard spent most of the day in the lab with McKay, Davis, Brown and Jane Brice, a linguist proficient in Ancient. Sullivan was back in McKay's lab, quite happy to be pouring over the drone schematics all by himself. This time, McKay needed Sheppard to do more than pull up schematics. The Colonel sat at the console, thinking what he was told to. McKay sat next to him almost the entire time, with Brice on the other side. They argued over translations on each step before directing Sheppard's next move.

"Look, I don't know exactly why I can't work this. We know from the other Elizabeth that some Ancient scientists worked on projects in secret. Maybe this was a top secret project. Maybe only a handful of the Ancients could ever work it. Maybe it just happened to be calibrated with a high threshold of…of…" McKay spoke quickly in agitation. "Maybe it was paranoia. I don't know. I do know you don't want to be here, but you're just going to have to deal with it."

"Take it easy, Rodney. I just said it strange." Sheppard frowned at McKay.

A passing comment brought McKay's frustration to a boil. It was late in the afternoon and they had been stumped by a reference to a Gate address for hours. For some reason, McKay, through Sheppard, could not dig beyond a certain point about this lab's research in the Ancient database. They had been able to study the technology and designs, but the whereabouts of the manufacturing facility was out of reach.

After hours of figurative hair-pulling and refining translations, McKay began to pace. He was talking to himself and no-one else in particular. So far, they had found a lot of research into materials, aerodynamics, propulsion mechanisms and damage patterns. There was only vague reference, however, to where the drones were made.

Sheppard watched for a while then stared at the drone with the single tail again. He reached back and placed his hand on the control pad. Suddenly, the drone began to glow and emit a humming sound. As McKay and the technicians watched with growing apprehension, the drone started to vibrate on its stand.

"Colonel, what are you doing?" McKay said as the others inched away. "You have to stop now."

Sheppard's narrowed eyes slightly and the drone rose up a couple of inches. It hovered for several seconds and slowly turned three hundred and sixty degrees on both axes before it settled back on to the stand. An instant later, it was dark and silent, as if nothing had happened.

The Colonel cocked his head a fraction and smiled. "Okay, Rodney, that's enough for tonight. We're not getting anywhere. Let's head back."

"Colonel…Wait. How did you do that?" McKay followed Sheppard to the door, glancing at the drone as he passed it. Then he stopped, a look of indignation on his face. "Why did you even try it? You could have killed us!"

Sheppard turned and gave McKay a look of "oh, please" that stopped the physicist cold.

"Rodney, I've had enough for today. I'm heading back."

"But, how did you…We need to…the Gate address." McKay frantically looked from the drone to Sheppard to the controls. "We need the Gate address."

"Not tonight, Rodney."

Dr. Brice was packing up the data pads with Davis and Brown. "Dr. McKay, we have a lot of data here. We should go over it again to see if we missed anything. There is still a large amount of text to translate."

Sheppard watched from the doorway, weariness and amusement in his eyes. "It's been a long day, Rodney. Sleep on it."

They all breathed a sigh of relief when McKay nodded and began to gather his gear.


	2. Chapter 2

Sheppard entered his quarters with a small coffee carafe and a sandwich, which he set next to the laptop on his desk. As the machine booted up, he shrugged off his vest, dropping it on the bed. Then he sat down and began to write his report on the previous day's search and this day's events. After the sandwich and half of the coffee were gone, he opened email and swore at the number of unopened, and therefore unread, reports in the inbox. This was one part of the job he truly disliked. Both he and Elizabeth read reports submitted by everyone from the quartermaster to the kitchen staff. And, there were many.

The mind-numbingly dry reports regarding ordnance and MREs were bad enough. It was the medical and psychological reports from Beckett and Kate Heightmeyer that really made him uncomfortable. He was fully aware it was necessary to know and understand the physical and mental status of his people, and how they were coping with the extraordinary circumstances of their lives and work. He was just glad that there were rarely many clinical details. That only happened in extreme cases.

He glanced at his watch and rubbed tired eyes. The reports would have to wait until tomorrow, after the meeting with his team leaders. Another task that was not high on his list of things that were fun.

A few minutes later, Sheppard headed out the door, dressed in t-shirt, track pants and sneakers. Not many more minutes after that, he was outside, running to the southwest pier. The cool night air was refreshing and went a long way to clearing his head. Maybe tonight he would be able to sleep without seeing the people of Namila.

McKay paused in the doorway of Elizabeth's office. He glared at Sheppard, who was sitting on a chair against the wall. "Here you are! I've been calling you for ten minutes!"

Sheppard, and Elizabeth, quickly hooked their transceivers on their ears.

"Hello, Rodney. It's nice to see you, too." Elizabeth frowned at him.

"Sorry." The physicist was ever so slightly abashed for a little more than a second. He dropped onto a chair in front of her desk and nodded toward Sheppard. "Did he tell you what happened last night?"

"I just got here, Rodney." There was a subtle warning in Sheppard's tone.

"Tell me what?" She looked at each of them.

"He almost got us killed, that's all!" McKay stared accusingly at the Colonel.

"What happened? Why didn't you tell me last night?" She raised her eyebrows at Sheppard.

Sheppard looked at McKay as a parent would an unruly child. "There was no danger. None of the drones were armed."

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth's mouth fell open in shock.

"How do you know?" McKay put his fists on his hips.

"It's a design lab, Rodney. There would be no reason for them to be armed. I seriously doubt the Ancients would be that stupid."

Elizabeth raised her voice. "Wait! Will one of you kindly tell me what happened?"

"Col. Sheppard here decided to activate one of the drones out there last night. He had it flying around the room." McKay continued to glare at Sheppard.

"Oh, please!" Sheppard rolled his eyes. "I turned it on, raised it a couple of inches off its stand, turned it around and set it down again. It was active for a total of about thirty seconds. There was no danger."

Elizabeth nodded in admiration.

"Don't encourage him!" McKay protested. "He could have lost control and caused all kinds of damage! Remember Antarctica?"

"That was Beckett, not me." Sheppard was trying to remain patient.

"Are you sure there was no danger?" She watched Sheppard closely and accepted his silent response.

McKay was clearly not in the mood to do the same. He almost sneered. "Oh, it's all just too easy for you, isn't it?"

Startled by the question, the Colonel didn't answer.

"Rodney!" Elizabeth was indignant.

"It's okay." Sheppard looked from Elizabeth to McKay. His voice was even. "Yes, Rodney, it is. But, you knew that. What the hell is wrong?"

"Why haven't you found any of this before now?" The question was both an accusation and a plea. The scientist's resentment suddenly evaporated. He gazed at his hands in self pity. "You barely have to be conscious and this stuff works for you. There's no strain, no effort, no concentration needed. No matter how hard I, or anyone else, work at it, we can't even come close. It's not fair."

Sheppard struggled to find the right words. "No, it isn't fair, Rodney. First, I don't know why it's like this. Second, you know it isn't as easy as just thinking 'What else is there?' I have to have some idea of…of…what we need."

McKay sighed. "We've never before found even the vaguest reference to where the drones were made in the Ancient database. Now I know it's probably because only you can access it. God knows how much more is out there we don't have a clue about."

"Well, at least now we do know there may be information in the database that is a little more difficult to get to." Elizabeth half smiled. "That's something, isn't it?"

Sheppard nodded in agreement. "We'll just have to look a little harder."

McKay brightened perceptibly. "Can you spare some time now? When we translated more of the text this morning, we found a reference to an off-world installation or something, but we didn't get a Gate address or location. We need it."

Sheppard checked his watch and nodded. "Give me a few minutes."

"Okay, come to my lab. We may not have to go back out to the design lab." McKay said as he walked toward the door. He stopped halfway and turned back. "You know, sometimes, you are a very scary man."

Elizabeth and Sheppard watched him go. They sat in silence for a minute, eyes on the door, before looking at each other.

"Well, that was interesting." Sheppard tried to not sound shaken.

She studied his face. "He's been under a lot of pressure. It must be frustrating for him not to have your abilities with the technology."

"Yeah." He adjusted his transceiver. "Beckett's never been able to explain why the gene therapy, using my genes, mind you, doesn't pass on the same abilities."

"The gene may not be the only thing involved." She offered.

"Well, I suppose I'd better get down there. Don't want to keep Rodney waiting." Sheppard grinned as he stood up. "We still on for lunch?"

"Do you think you'll be finished by then?"

"Elizabeth, I am going to shamelessly use you as an excuse to get away if need be. All I have to do is find the Gate address." He grinned. "Either that or shoot Rodney."

She laughed as he walked to the door.

"John?" Elizabeth was suddenly serious. He turned. "Is it really so easy for you to do this?"

"I suppose so. The difficult part is the language. It seems to understand what I'm thinking most of the time, and I am learning more Ancient. It's more just a matter of how I imagine or think about what I want." He shrugged. "It's sort of…Zen."

Sheppard sat at a console with an ATA sensor in McKay's sizable laboratory. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his arms up and back. Only he and McKay were in the lab now. The others had been dismissed some time ago after Davis made the mistake of saying he was hungry before McKay did.

Sheppard checked his watch. "Rodney, look, we both need to clear our minds for a few minutes. I have a meeting with Elizabeth and the break will do us good."

McKay heaved an impatient sigh and opened his mouth to speak then stopped. He nodded. "You're right. My blood sugar is getting low. I'll be able to think better with some food inside me."

They made their way to the mess hall. McKay piled his tray with food as Sheppard picked up a sandwich and scanned the counter for a moment. One of the cooks, a big Sergeant with stubbly graying hair, came out with a large crock of stew and nestled in the warming tray. He turned to leave when he saw them.

"Colonel! Hang on a minute, Sir." He disappeared into the kitchen for a moment. When he returned, he handed Sheppard a bulging MRE packet with a wink and a whisper. "Last one, Sir. I know how much you like 'em, so I thought I'd save it for you."

The younger man accepted it and peeked inside. He looked at what would probably be the last piece of fresh fruit he'd get for a while, a large, shiny apple. The Daedalus was not due back for a couple of weeks, and fruit on the mainland would not be in season for at least two months. The people of Namila edged into his mind. But when he looked at the Sergeant again, he let a slow grin spread on his face.

Sheppard spoke in a hushed tone. "Thanks, Sarge. I appreciate it."

"What's that?" McKay tried to peek in the packet.

Sheppard closed the packet and began to walk away. "Just a snack for later, Rodney. Meet you back in the lab in an hour."

"An hour?" McKay scowled at Sheppard's quickly retreating back.

"If we don't find anything this afternoon, I'm calling a halt to it." Sheppard dropped the remnants of the apple on the plate on the chair next to him. He'd consumed every edible part. "Teyla and Ronon are due back from the mainland tonight. I want to continue searching out in the northeast area."

"Rodney's really going to love that." Elizabeth placed her napkin on the plate in front of her. She grinned at his expression of mock fear.

"Yeah, well, we can come back and try it again later. You know, I don't know how those guys sit in their labs day after day. I'd go crazy." He stretched out his legs then realized what he said and looked sheepish. "Sorry."

"That's okay. Sitting behind a desk all day is not really my cup of tea, either."

"Col. Sheppard, this is McKay." The transceivers crackled in their ears.

Sheppard activated his vox. "Yes, Rodney?"

"Where are you?" The voice was impatient.

He glanced at his watch. "I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Very well." The reply was terse.

Sheppard tapped the transceiver to deactivate the vox function again as he leaned back and closed his eyes. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he sat up straight.

"What's wrong?" Elizabeth asked.

He tapped the transceiver again and held up a finger. "Dr. McKay, this is Sheppard."

"This is McKay."

"Meet me in the hologram room."

"Why?"

"I have an idea."

Elizabeth listened to the brief exchange with growing interest. When Sheppard stood up, she did, too.

"You coming, too?" He was surprised.

"I want to see this." She nodded and smiled. "Besides, it's a good excuse to get out of my office."

McKay was already in the hologram room when Elizabeth and Sheppard arrived. The physicist was squatting down next to the small pedestal console, busily setting up his laptop.

"So kind of you to come." McKay's tone was slightly sarcastic until he saw her. "Elizabeth, what are you doing here?"

The doors closed as Sheppard and Elizabeth walked to the pedestal. She stood next to it as he stepped up and placed his hand on the sensor pad. He glanced down at McKay. "Ready?"

"For what? I still don't understand why you wanted…" McKay glanced around as the lights dimmed, and then up at the sound of Elizabeth's intake of breath. He slowly stood up, laptop forgotten. "What…?"

A planetary system lazily revolved above them. After a full turn, it stopped. The fourth planet out from the sun hovered between them and grew in size as the rest of the system vanished.

"Where is this?" McKay asked in confusion.

"It's in an uninhabited system about halfway across the galaxy." Sheppard looked down for a moment then back at the planet. "The drones are in an underground installation."

"What? How could you possible know that?"" McKay quickly stared at Sheppard then seemed to remember something important. "Gate address? We need the Gate address."

A second later, a set of Gate symbols appeared under the planet. McKay dropped back down to the laptop on the floor but tried to watch the hologram at the same time.

"Don't move!" McKay waved one hand frantically in Sheppard's direction. "How do you know this is the right planet? How did you find it?"

"Semantics." Sheppard was staring the image in front of him. He peered closely at the Gate address. "Rodney? Check this out."

"What?" McKay groaned as he straightened up. He followed Sheppard's gaze.

"I don't recognize the middle symbol. Do either of you?"

"No." Elizabeth and McKay said as one.

"Damn." Sheppard continued to stare at the address.

"Can you get the coordinates? We might be able to figure out the right address or find a way to get there by Jumper." McKay's hope dissolved when he saw Sheppard shake his head.

"Could it be a home planet symbol?" Elizabeth asked.

"It would be a billion to one chance." McKay was instantly morose. "It's another dead end."

Elizabeth thought for a moment. "Well, at least we have access to the research. We can use that, can't we?"

She looked up at Sheppard for support to find he was not listening. He was deep in thought, arms folded over his chest. Elizabeth waited patiently. McKay busily worked on his laptop, mumbling quietly in his misery. After a minute or two, the Colonel became aware that he was being watched.

"Sorry, I was just thinking." He stepped around the pedestal and walked up to the address hanging in the air. The planet faded away and the symbols enlarged further.

"What, what?" McKay demanded. "What are you thinking?"

Sheppard didn't take his eyes off the hologram. "Is it in the database?"

"No. I've never come across it." McKay went back to his computer. A few seconds later he re-enforced his assertion. "No, it's nothing we've seen before."

Elizabeth watched the Colonel and the hologram in fascination. She didn't often have the chance to see this room in action, and always found it thrilling. It was especially so when Sheppard controlled it. Every action was fluid and coherent, the detail sharp. He didn't have to be near the ATA sensor for the room to do all he asked of it.

This was when the Ancient data came to life. The hologram Beckett triggered on their arrival in Atlantis seemed to be programmed to play for the first person with the ATA gene to touch the sensor. Since then, it would give up its treasures only when specifically instructed to do so.

Some of the others with the Ancient gene, like Rodney, had attained a high degree of skill with the technology. None of them, though, would ever have John Sheppard's ability. Elizabeth felt it was as much a part of him as breathing. Rodney was right, it was all too easy for him. Just as it was easy for Rodney to do what he did.

McKay exhaled loudly. "Just staring at it isn't going to help."

"Oh, ye of little faith." Sheppard raised a conspiratorial eyebrow at Elizabeth then looked back at the hologram. "Observe."

The address enlarged even more and became three dimensional then slowly rolled. They saw the strange symbol divide and become two distinct symbols, one stacked on the other. It continued to turn a full rotation until it returned to its original position. This time, however, there was a line of seven familiar symbols with an eighth sinking to just below the middle one.

"How the hell did you figure it out?" McKay looked at it in disbelief.

Sheppard shrugged but didn't take his eyes off the hologram. "Just a guess. Why the extra symbol?"

"Is it in another galaxy?" Elizabeth asked.

"Who knows?" McKay crossed his arms. "Why was it layered under the other one? Where does it go? Do we dial it before or after the middle symbol?"

"At the same time?" Elizabeth looked from McKay to Sheppard.

"Can't be done." McKay said offhandedly. "It just stops the dialing sequence."

The doors swung open and the hologram disappeared as Sheppard turned around.

McKay looked around. "Wait, wait! Where are you going?"

"Gate Ops." The Colonel waved his hand for Elizabeth to leave first. She smiled and walked out first. Sheppard glanced at McKay. "Coming?"

The physicist scrambled to collect his laptop and hurry after them.

McKay shooed away the technician sitting at the DHD and took her chair. He nervously rubbed his hands together and glanced at Elizabeth and Sheppard. He slowly dialed seven symbols, using just one of the middle stacked pair. They all looked from the DHD to the Gate, but the final one did not lock. The personnel around Gate Ops looked anxiously from McKay to the Gate and back.

"Well, it isn't that one." McKay took a deep breath and began to dial again, using the other middle symbol. Again, nothing happened. "Damn."

Sheppard pointed at the DHD. "Okay, dial the middle two together. It has to be…"

"Yes, yes, yes! I just don't think it's going to work." McKay waved the Colonel's hand away. He dialed the first three symbols, but when he tried to press the middle pair at one time, the sequence stopped. He turned to the others. "See? What did I tell you?"

"What if it is an address somewhere outside of the Pegasus Galaxy?" Elizabeth interjected. "It would make sense for security reasons."

"It would, Rodney, since this is the only Gate in Pegasus that can dial another galaxy." Sheppard agreed.

"Oh, really?" McKay snapped. His frustration was more than obvious. "That completely slipped my mind."

Sheppard leaned over and spoke softly so that only McKay and Elizabeth could hear. "Rodney, behave."

McKay glared at him in offense. He turned and began to dial an address using all of the symbols. When he pressed the seventh symbol, it would not engage. The sequence shut down again. McKay exhaled loudly, glanced up at the others and started dialing again, switched the order of the middle two symbols. The results were the same.

"Well, that's it." The physicist stood up.

"Could there be something wrong with the DHD?" Sheppard looked at it then at McKay with all the innocence he could muster. "Maybe you didn't connect everything when you took it apart. Perhaps you…?"

"The dialing device is working just fine, Colonel." McKay stood up and glowered at Sheppard. "There must be something wrong with the address."

"No, the address is fine. I'm sure you'll figure it out, Rodney." Sheppard said with a straight face.

At first, McKay wasn't sure if the comment was an insult or a compliment. He seemed to decide he should take it as the latter. "Maybe there's something wrong with the receiving Gate. I could calculate the coordinates of the various permutations. We may be able to run them through the database to see if there is another Gate near enough to get there by Jumper."


	3. Chapter 3

McKay walked into Elizabeth Weir's office and flopped into a chair. She looked up from the report she was reading and frowned.

"Rodney, you really do need to learn how to knock, or at least say hello." She saw his dismayed expression. "No luck?"

He shook his head. "No. Nothing. The address must be a mistake."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, the Colonel isn't as infallible with the Ancient technology as we thought." McKay said flatly. He started to rub his face with both hands then froze. "Or, maybe not."

"What?"

McKay held up one hand and tapped his transceiver with the other. "Col. Sheppard? This is McKay."

They both heard the response a couple of seconds later. "This is Sheppard."

"Can you come to Gate Ops, please?"

"I'll be there in five minutes."

Five minutes later, Sheppard climbed the stairs to Gate Ops.

McKay was standing next to an empty chair at the DHD. Elizabeth stood nearby, leaning on the railing. As Sheppard approached, the physicist indicated he should sit in the chair. He looked questioningly at them. She just shrugged and nodded at McKay.

"Sit." McKay swung the chair slightly to make it easier for the Colonel to sit down. "I think, I hope, I have it."

"What?" Sheppard looked up.

"Dial the address and press the middle two symbols together." McKay turned the chair again to face the Colonel toward the console.

Sheppard did as he was told, and a few seconds later a wormhole opened. The three of them, along with everyone in the Gate Room, stared at the shimmering event horizon. Sheppard saw the expressions on Elizabeth and McKay were very much like the moment he made the solar system appear in the Antarctic outpost.

"Rodney?" Sheppard stood up and went to the railing.

"I should have known." McKay said with disgust. "Since you were the only one who could get any of this out of the Ancient database, it's reasonable to assume that you'd be the only one that could dial the address."

"Well, I suppose we'd better send the MALP through." Sheppard signaled to a Sergeant on the floor below. Moments later, a MALP rolled into view and toward the Gate.

Elizabeth looked at him suspiciously as the MALP disappeared. "How did you know Rodney would figure it out?"

"Because he's the smart one." Sheppard replied as if it was the obvious answer. He moved around to the large screen as a technician counted off the seconds until re-materialization.

The image sent back by the robot was confusing. The room at the destination appeared to be oval, about thirty feet deep from the Gate and twenty-five feet on its short axis. The walls seemed perfectly smooth, but it was difficult to tell because the material was dark and absorbed almost all of the light and the radar. They had to guide the MALP over the entire room to verify its true size. It certainly did not look like a factory.

They watched as the MALP thoroughly explored the small space. The only distinguishing feature they saw other than the Gate was the DHD off to one side. Even that was odd. The DHD was a small pedestal, the symbol buttons looking like those in a jumper. It was made of the same material as the rest of the chamber. On the second turn around the room, McKay pointed to the image.

"Aim the light at the floor!" He peered closely at the image. "This looks similar to the place where Gen. O'Neill first had the Ancient database downloaded into his brain. I saw a video of it."

Elizabeth glanced at him. "That doesn't make sense, Rodney. This is supposed to be where the drones are made."

"I know. It could be another step in the security. Who knows? There has been too much cloak and dagger about this whole thing."

"Well, we know from the Aurora that they took security seriously. Maybe there's a doorway we can't see." Sheppard did not take his eyes from the screen. "How's the atmosphere?"

The technician checked the readout. "Looks good, Sir."

"Okay, scan it from top to bottom. There may be something there we just haven't seen." Sheppard put his hands on his hips. "Teyla and Ronon will be back from the mainland later. We'll take a look first thing in the morning."

"We're not going now?" McKay was confused. "We should go now."

"John?" Elizabeth was also taken aback.

"Yes, I do, but not without Teyla and Ronon." Sheppard glanced sideways at McKay. "Look, if this is the place where the drones are made, we can't have anyone else with the Ancient gene even think about Gating over. I need to get in there first."

"Wait, what do you mean?" McKay was alarmed. "What about me?"

"Sorry, Rodney, I think you need to sit this one out. Let me check it out first then you can come over and poke around to your heart's content."

"But, I can be careful. I won't turn anything on." McKay was becoming agitated.

"No. It's too important and could be extremely dangerous. You can watch." Sheppard was firm as he pointed to the screen.

Before McKay could respond, Elizabeth spoke. "I agree, Rodney. Let John make sure it's safe before you go."

McKay looked at the determination on their faces. He exhaled loudly and nodded. Then, he touched the controls and the Gate shut down.

Elizabeth sipped hot tea from a mug and leaned back in her chair. "You'd think the installation on Doranda would have had this kind of security. The weapon there was much more powerful and potentially more dangerous to the Ancients."

"Well, the Dorandans would have needed access to it to help the Ancients run it." McKay observed. "And, maybe even run it by themselves once installation and testing were complete."

"They may have left it like that on purpose. If the Wraith tried to bring it online, it would have destroyed any ships in the vicinity." Sheppard suggested.

"It's possible." McKay looked thoughtfully at the Colonel. "But, maybe it did have a level of security similar to that of the drone lab."

"What are you talking about? You got it running." Sheppard frowned.

"Yeah, but you were there the whole time." McKay waved his hand over his own mug. "And, you did your magic trick with the ATA sensor, didn't you?"

The next morning, McKay waited nervously in Gate Ops until Elizabeth and Sheppard arrived.

"Where have you been?" He demanded. "Where are Ronon and Teyla?"

Sheppard looked sideways at him. "They'll be here in a few minutes, Rodney. Stop it, will you?"

"Well, I still don't really see why I can't go." The physicist protested as he followed them into her office. "I won't touch anything!"

Elizabeth sat at her desk. "The decision has been made, Rodney. There is too much at stake here. We need the drones, and if we have found…"

"I know, I know! It's just not fair!" He pouted as he looked at Sheppard. "You'll tell me as soon as you know it's safe, won't you?"

"Yes, Rodney, as soon as I know." The Colonel nodded patiently.

At that moment, Teyla appeared at the door. "Col. Sheppard? I am sorry to interrupt. We are ready when you are."

"Do you have the video camera?" McKay asked Teyla.

"Yes, Dr. McKay." She held up a small digital recorder. "And, I know how to use it."

"I've rigged a transmitter so we'll be able to see what you're recording. Just press this." He pointed to a button on a small attachment on the device. "Spare disks and batteries?"

She touched a pocket on her vest. "Yes, Rodney. Do not worry. I will record everything I can."

"Yes, Rodney, stop worrying." Sheppard glanced back at Elizabeth and smiled. "Ready?"

"I just want to make sure we see everything." McKay walked through the door, followed by Elizabeth and Sheppard.

A minute later, Ronon and Teyla waited on the Gate Room floor as Sheppard stood at the DHD, flanked by Elizabeth, McKay and Radek Zelenka. He dialed the address and the wormhole opened. They activated the MALP again to ensure the destination was unchanged. Sheppard took a deep breath and he hurried down the stairs. After a quick wave, he walked through the event horizon with Teyla and Ronon.

"Be careful." Elizabeth said softly, as she had so often done before.

McKay looked at her sharply. "Are you worried?"

She shook her head as she sat next to the technician running the MALP and lied. "No, not really."

"They'll be fine." He glanced at the Gate. "You were probably right about just Sheppard going with Teyla and Ronon. Until we know what's there, it's the safest thing to do."

Zelenka added, "Col. Sheppard knows what he is doing."

They turned to watch the transmission from the MALP. The technician operating the MALP camera had swung around to show the Gate on the other end. Within seconds, they saw Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon come through the event horizon. The chamber was immediately flooded with light. The camera followed Sheppard as he walked to the center and stopped.

"Well?" McKay was too impatient to wait.

"We know there's at least some power for the lights." The Colonel lowered his P-90 as he peered around the room. "I can't see where it's coming from, though."

"It is very strange." They heard Teyla's voice. The technician started to swing the camera on the MALP. They saw the image from Teyla's recorder on a laptop set up under the main screen.

"No, no, stay with the Colonel. Wide angle." McKay ordered and the technician obeyed. Sheppard came back into view and the perspective widened to show more of the chamber.

The feed from Teyla's recorder showed them there were no seams or corners in the room. Gentle curves made the transitions where ceiling and floor met wall. Even the base of the DHD and Stargate appeared like they grew from the floor. The material absorbed almost all light, making it difficult to gauge depth or size.

Ronon came into view and stood next to Sheppard. He looked around the room. "The walls are smooth. There's nothing here, no writing, no door, nothing."

"What about the floor? Is there anything on the floor?" McKay demanded. "Walk around. If it's like P3R-272, the place where Gen. O'Neill found the library, you may need to walk across the sensor."

They saw Ronon look down to search the floor then disappear from the camera's range. Sheppard, however, didn't move. Instead, he closed his eyes.

"What are you doing?" McKay looked at Elizabeth and Zelenka. "What is he doing?"

"Quiet, Rodney." Elizabeth spoke softly.

Zelenka whispered. "He's thinking."

"Oh! Sorry." McKay peered at the screen.

Teyla and Ronon came back into the image, standing either side of Sheppard. They both glanced at him then turned to study the walls of the chamber. Suddenly, Sheppard opened his eyes. He walked to the wall to the left of the Gate, stopping inches from it, but not touching it. He slowly moved around the full curve of the chamber until he was on the right side of the Gate. Then he went back to the middle and handed his P-90 to Ronon.

"Hold this for me." Sheppard said.

Ronon looked at Teyla who quickly glanced at him. "Sheppard?"

"Mmm?"

"You should keep your weapon with you." Ronon frowned as he scanned the chamber again.

"It's okay. We're all alone here." The Colonel replied absently as he looked around the entire chamber. He walked back to the left end of the oval and placed his hand on the surface in front of his chest.

The wall around where he stood began to change. The outline of a large doorway seemed to morph from the surface in front of Sheppard. It was about ten feet wide and ten high, and was bordered by an intricate geometric design. His fingertips traced the design upward along the left side of the door, then the right, stopping very briefly at different points. As they watched, Sheppard reached up and touched the top left corner of the door. It slid up with a quiet hiss.

In Gate Ops, McKay pulled the technician from her chair and sat down. "Oh, my God."

"How…?" Zelenka leaned closer to the screen. "There was nothing to indicate a door, or anything."

McKay threw up his hands and shook his head, but didn't take his eyes off the screens.

Beyond the open door, they saw a space about six feet deep. Sheppard entered and touched the wall at the other end. It, too, became a door and slid open. The area was instantly illuminated when he crossed the threshold. He disappeared from sight. Ronon followed with his weapon at the ready. Teyla entered next to him, still filming.

McKay tried to keep up with the MALP, but it was far behind. Elizabeth and Zelenka watched the video from Teyla's camera. Her slow pan of the area showed a much larger chamber. It was more or less rectangular, and again, there were no sharp corners. A small console occupied the wall at one end, a large display screen above it. She turned the recorder to show the rest of the room. At the other end, they saw Sheppard standing in front of a weapons chair just like the ones in Antarctica and Atlantis. The area between the chair and console was empty, featureless.

Teyla and Ronon entered the room, closely followed by the MALP. Rodney halted the robot just inside the door and swung the camera to follow the Colonel, who was approaching the console. His fingertips brushed the sensor pad and the screen came to life. Within moments, Ancient text and images streamed across the screen.

Teyla stayed back, but zoomed the recorder to capture as much of it as possible. Sheppard's sleeve was just visible at the edge of the image. In Atlantis, McKay and Zelenka spoke over each other as they watched. McKay moved the MALP forward to record the data as well.

McKay stood up. "Colonel. Slower, make it go slower! I want to record this!"

He sat down again as the flow of information stopped, looped back to the beginning then began again at a relative crawl. McKay moved the MALP close enough for the screen to take up the whole image being transmitted. His and Zelenka's excitement diverted Elizabeth's attention, too. They watched for several minutes, barely breathing for fear of missing something.

"Are those shipping reports?" McKay leaned closer.

Zelenka squinted at the screen. "Looks like it might be."

"Shipping?" Elizabeth asked with skepticism.

McKay was glued to the screen. "Yeah. Sounds very ordinary, isn't it?"

"Except for what was being shipped, very." She agreed.

They didn't notice the perspective from Teyla's recorder change as she followed Sheppard to the chair at the other end of the room.

"Rodney?" Sheppard's voice made them jump and turn to the computer. "Feel like coming on a little trip?"

McKay almost fell over backwards trying to get up from the chair. He ran down the stairs. "Yes, yes! I'm on my way."

"McKay!" The Colonel's raised voice made him stop.

"What?" McKay looked from the Gate to the Ops balcony in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"You don't need to run."

The physicist straightened himself with all the dignity he could muster. He retrieved a wheeled case that was waiting at the edge of the Gate Room floor and walked slowly through the Gate. Zelenka and Elizabeth chuckled as they watched the physicist leave. Then they turned and sat at the console again. A few seconds later, they saw him enter the Gate Room at the destination. He looked around nervously.

McKay stopped in the middle of the room for a moment then noticed the Teyla. "Why aren't you recording the data?"

The angle changed as Teyla turned toward the corridor to the other chamber. "Sorry, Dr. McKay."

"Don't listen to him, Teyla." Sheppard came into view again as he walked through the doors back to the chair room. "Rodney, come set up your toys."

McKay followed the Colonel, trying to study his surroundings at the same time. He paused at the door of the chair room then headed for the console. "Where is the light coming from?"

"Don't know." Ronon leaned against the wall near the door. "Does it matter?"

"Well, no, not really. I just…" McKay lay the case on the floor next to the console and unloaded a laptop, data pad and other gear. He started to set the laptop on the console, but stopped. "Can I touch it?"

"Yeah." Sheppard circled the chair as he spoke.

"Why is it off?" The physicist pointed at the blank screen then looked sharply at Sheppard.

"I want to see if you can turn it on."

McKay frowned then nodded anxiously. Sheppard's caution had sunk in. He set the laptop on the console and quickly made the connections necessary to record any data they found. He hesitantly placed his hand on the sensor pad. Nothing happened.

"Colonel?"

Sheppard was already standing next to him. He raised his eyebrows in silent query. McKay crossed his arms and nodded at the sensor.

"Relax, Rodney. I don't think this controls anything that can actually do damage." He glanced at the chair on the other side of the chamber. McKay followed his glance.

"Are you positive?" McKay's eyes went back to the sensor.

"No. Not a hundred percent, but fairly sure." He grinned and slapped McKay on the shoulder. "Just be careful what you think, that's all."

McKay gave Sheppard an apprehensive glance. "Gee, thanks!"

"Don't worry, I'm right here." The Colonel was more serious. "Come on, Rodney, just try it."

"Okay." McKay nodded and, with a deep breath, put his hand back on the sensor. He stared at the screen, which remained blank.

"Relax." Sheppard leaned over and spoke softly. "Be a little more Zen about it."

"Zen?" McKay looked at him in disbelief.

Sheppard nodded, mischief in his eyes. "Zen. Now, what do you want?"

McKay opened his mouth to speak.

"Don't tell me. Tell it."

Teyla and Ronon glanced at each other, just as Elizabeth and Zelenka did on Atlantis. Sheppard reached to put his hand on McKay's shoulder, but stopped just before making contact. Instead, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and stepped back a pace.

"It won't work for me." McKay put his hand back on the sensor and closed his eyes. After several seconds, he dropped his hand and turned to the Colonel. "What if I…?"

"Rodney." Sheppard stepped forward again. "Okay. Let's try something easy."

The chamber they were in went black first then the Gate Room. Only the light from the MALP shone until Ronon turned on the light on Sheppard's P-90. Teyla flicked on her P-90's light a moment later. The small beams created an eerie effect in the chamber. There were no shadows, any light falling on the chamber surfaces being absorbed completely.

"What the hell are you doing?" McKay whirled on Sheppard. His voice was half an octave higher than normal.

"Colonel?" Teyla glanced back at him. "What is happening?"

Ronon looked around, his hand on his weapon. "Are you doing this, Sheppard?"

"Yes. Everything's okay." Sheppard looked over his shoulder at Teyla and Ronon then turned back to McKay. He pulled out a small flashlight and shone it on the console. "Rodney, put your hand on the sensor."

McKay reluctantly did as he was told. He turned to the console and put his hand back on the pad. "What do you want me to do?"

"Turn the lights on, of course."

"Well, what if I set something off? If this place is really where they made the drones…"

"Rodney." Sheppard looked sideways as one would an annoying child.

McKay said impatiently. "But, you won't let that happen, will you?"

"No." The Colonel nodded at the console. "Time's a-wasting, Doctor. Just the lights."

"Yes, yes. Just the lights. Zen." He took a deep breath. A couple of seconds later, the lights came up in the room.

"The Gate Room?" Sheppard prompted. McKay nodded and screwed his eyes shut tight. It lit up as well. "Very good! How about the screen? Just turn it on."

McKay opened his eyes and stared at it for several seconds, be it remained dark. He closed his eyes again and breathed deep. A moment later, it activated. Sheppard slapped him on the shoulder. "There ya go!"

"Well, maybe now that we're here, the security isn't as tight." McKay was visibly relieved. He exhaled and looked around. "Now what?"

"Get your gear ready." The Colonel walked towards the chair at the other end of the room. He stopped in front of it, hands on hips.

"What is Zen?" Ronon quietly asked Teyla. She shrugged.


	4. Chapter 4

"Elizabeth?" Sheppard stood near the door to the Gate Room, watching the shimmering light of the event horizon. He glanced at Rodney, who was busily tapping on his laptop keyboard.

"Go ahead, Colonel." She responded.

He checked his watch. "We're going to be here a while. You may as well shut down the Gate."

"Are you sure?" Her disembodied voice came back.

"Yeah. It's oh-nine hundred hours. How about we check in at eleven hundred? We should know something by then."

"Okay, John. We'll talk to you later." She paused. "Be careful."

The Gate shut down as Sheppard turned back and walked towards McKay. He half smiled at Teyla and Ronon, who had taken up residence on the floor near the console, leaning back against the wall. She was showing him how to use the recorder.

"Find anything interesting, Rodney?" Sheppard stopped in front of the screen and put his hands on his hips.

McKay fixed him with a long-suffering expression. "I might if you would stop interrupting."

"Okay." The Colonel said cheerily.

He started to examine the chamber. Teyla and Ronon watched as he slowly made his way around the walls. He wasn't really searching visually, though. The Colonel had pocketed his flashlight earlier. It was as if he was feeling for something, like he had done when he found the doors earlier. He would stop occasionally and touch the wall.

He disappeared into the Gate Room for a few minutes. When he returned, Sheppard approached McKay. Something on the screen caught his eye. He studied the readout. "Is that a manifest?"

"Hmm?" McKay straightened and looked at the Colonel. "I think so. It looks like one of the last shipments, but I can't see that actually left here."

"How many?" Sheppard leaned closer.

"Looks like…" McKay frowned at the readout for a minute. "Wow. Looks like twenty-thousand. But, like I said, I can't tell if they've been shipped out of here."

Sheppard whistled and smiled happily. The image on the screen changed. "Let's find out."

Ronon and Teyla joined them as they watched. Sheppard glanced at McKay. "It was the most recent entry?"

"I think so." McKay waved at the screen. "But, it's going to take some time to translate everything.

"Okay. Pack up your stuff." Sheppard wet his lips and walked to the center of the chamber. He stopped and turned around to look at the console. The screen went blank and the whole thing shut down. "I want to see if they're here."

"What? What do you mean?" McKay followed him.

"Look, that thing is nothing more than a database. We can't actually use it to do anything. All the work must be done from the chair, so I'm going to see if that last shipment is still here."

McKay stared at him. "Is that wise? We don't know…"

"Are you sure you want to do this, Colonel?" Teyla asked.

Sheppard looked at Teyla. "Yes. That's why I want you all to go back to Atlantis."

"That is not what I meant." Teyla approached him. "I wish to stay."

Ronon also came forward. "I'll stay, too."

McKay sighed and hung his head for a second. "I guess I'd better stay as well. You may need me."

"No, I want you all out of here." He went back to the console and started to disconnect the computer.

McKay pushed the Colonel aside and began to pack up his gear. "Fine, I'll pack up, but I'm not going back."

"Nor I." Teyla approached. Ronon shrugged and folded his arms over his chest in silent defiance.

"Look, I don't know if this is going to work. I could blow up the place." Sheppard saw their determination. He thought for a moment then pointed to the abbreviated corridor. "Okay, I want you in there. If something happens, get back to the Gate Room and Atlantis. These doors will close pretty fast."

"Fine." McKay closed the case and stood up. He pulled the case through the corridor and stopped. "We should dial Atlantis. In case something happens, we won't have time to stop and do it."

"Good idea, Rodney. Dial it." Sheppard stood in the doorway.

The wormhole opened and McKay tapped in his IDC.

"Dr. McKay, this is Atlantis." Zelenka sounded concerned. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, it is, Doctor." Sheppard replied.

McKay looked askance at him. "At least for the moment."

"What do you mean?" This time, it was Elizabeth's voice.

Sheppard rolled his eyes. "We're fine, Elizabeth. We've come into a dead end, so to speak, on the computer here. It seems to be purely a database. So, I'm going to…"

"He's going to use the chair to see if he can find a shipment of drones." McKay interrupted.

"John, is that safe?"

Now Sheppard glared at McKay. "It'll be fine. I just want to see if the drones are here. There might be thousands of them, Elizabeth. We could sure use them if they are."

"Okay, if you're sure." She sounded hesitant, even through the comms.

"We're going to leave the Gate open." McKay pulled his computer case to the Gate. "I'm sending my laptop through, Radek. It has everything I've downloaded so far."

"I'll take care of it, Rodney." Zelenka replied. "Perhaps you should bring it yourself."

"No, everything will be fine." He didn't see Sheppard approach as he pushed the case through.

"Sorry, Rodney." Sheppard shoved the physicist hard and he disappeared through the event horizon with a yelp.

"Col. Sheppard!" McKay's voice in their transceivers a handful of seconds later made Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon wince. "How could you?"

"Take it easy, McKay." Sheppard turned to Teyla and Ronon. "You two decide. One can stay, the other goes back."

When they realized he was not going to move until one of them walked through the Gate, Teyla and Ronon looked at each other. Ronon folded his arms over his chest again and just smiled at his diminutive friend. She bowed her head a fraction in defeat, handed him the recorder and walked through the Gate without a word.

Sheppard turned to the DHD. "Atlantis?"

"Yes, John?" Elizabeth responded.

"I'm shutting down the Gate."

"Why?" McKay demanded.

"If anything goes wrong, and I'm not saying it will, I don't want an outbound wormhole to Atlantis open."

"We can raise the shield."

"I don't want to risk it." Sheppard's tone did not welcome argument.

"No, Rodney." Elizabeth shushed McKay. "Okay, John, but dial in as soon as you know something."

"This'll only take a couple of minutes." Sheppard pressed the activation control on the DHD and the wormhole closed. He headed for the other room.

Ronon followed Sheppard to the corridor, but did not cross the threshold to the chair room. He turned the camera on and carefully followed the Colonel's movements with it.

Sheppard quickly positioned the MALP's camera to film the open area between the chair and the console. Then he crossed to the chair, which activated as he sat down. His eyes focused somewhere not in that room and his fingers gently pressed the gel pads under them. When nothing happened for more than a minute, Ronon took a step forward.

"Stay there." Sheppard said quietly.

"Is something wrong?" Ronon glanced from the recorder screen to Sheppard and back.

"No." The Colonel took a deep breath. "I'm just…Ah…Cool."

The ceiling above the middle of the room opened just long enough for a large container filled with drones to descend from it then closed again. The whole process took less than a second. Sheppard was immediately on his feet, going to it. He grinned at Ronon and waved him over. They walked around the container, which was full of tightly packed projectiles. It appeared as if the transparent case held about a hundred of them, arranged like sardines in a can.

"How do we get it to the Gate?" Ronon asked.

Sheppard reached out to touch it. As soon as his fingers made contact, the pallet moved. They both bent over to look at the base.

"It has wheels or rollers of some kind." Sheppard straightened and gently pushed the container toward the doorway to the Gate room. Ronon quickly moved to help guide it.

A crowd began to gather around the Gate Room floor. Five containers of drones had just come through, followed closely by Ronon and Sheppard. The Atlantis grapevine was efficient and very fast. Scientists and Marines alike circled the containers like vultures, wanting to get their hands on the peculiar weapons. Ronon stood next one of the containers, talking to McKay, who was tip-toeing to look inside.

"Well, you were right, it didn't take long." Elizabeth stood next to Sheppard and Teyla, who had stopped half way up the stairs leading up to Gate Ops. "I take it you didn't have any trouble."

They watched Lt. Jenkins and Gunnery Sgt. Blake, the ordnance specialists, supervise the movement of the containers through a corridor on the other side of the floor. The Marines made short work of pushing back the knots of onlookers and rolling the drones away. McKay and Ronon followed them.

"Do you want the good news or the bad news first?" Sheppard asked them.

Both women looked at him and spoke as one. "Bad news?"

Elizabeth continued. "Bad news first."

"It's only a storage facility. The drones weren't made there." He paused for a moment. "I suppose it is safer that way. That would be a lot of firepower to have sitting around a manufacturing plant, even with all of the security."

"And, the good news?" Elizabeth continued to watch the removal of the containers.

"Rodney told you how many?" He saw her nod. "He was right. Twenty-thousand. We'll be able to send enough back to Earth to supply the outpost in Antarctica."

She smiled. "I bet they'll be happy. When do you want to go back for them?"

"I need to check out a couple of them first." He started down the stairs

"Check them out?" Teyla was puzzled.

"With the chair. I want to launch a couple to make sure they're armed." He turned and looked at them. "You can watch from the balcony if you want to."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow in mild alarm. "Really?"

"Don't worry, it'll be perfectly safe." Sheppard walked across the floor, following the path taken by the drones.

The digital recording played to a silent audience in conference room. Elizabeth, McKay, Zelenka, Beckett, Teyla and Ronon watched the footage from the moment Teyla returned to Atlantis until Ronon leaned over the receptacle to record its contents. When it finished, they all stared at Sheppard.

He glanced around at the others. "What?"

"What were you doing?" Elizabeth asked him.

"Doing?" He seemed lost for a moment. "Oh, I was looking for the drones."

McKay sat forward. "Looking for them? What do you mean?"

"I was looking for them. You can't just whistle." He saw their confusion. "You know. It's kind of interactive."

"Interactive?" Elizabeth leaned forward.

"Yeah, kind of like…" Sheppard paused, searching for the right words. "You get a kind of feedback from the chair, and some of the other Ancient technology."

Beckett was dubious. "Feedback?"

"Well, not really feedback. I can't think of a better…" Sheppard looked from Beckett to McKay. "You haven't felt it?"

They shook their heads silently.

"Not ever?" Sheppard exhaled heavily. "Oh, great."

"I've never felt any such thing, Colonel. Rodney?" Beckett looked at McKay, who shook his head. "No-one with the ATA gene has reported anything like this, and the people who have received gene therapy have been monitored closely. You've never mentioned it before. Is it a recent phenomenon?"

"No, but it doesn't always happen. It depends on what I'm doing. I usually need to be in contact with the sensor. It's mostly with the chair and the hologram room." He was looking down, his face clouded in thought. "When we didn't have the ZPM, I couldn't use them at all. We really haven't used the hologram room much anyway."

McKay observed. "And, without drones, we don't use the chair."

Ronon and Teyla sat quietly, watching the exchange. McKay had inched away a little and continued to stare at Sheppard. His expression was one of incredulity.

"What does it feel like?" Elizabeth watched Sheppard closely.

Zelenka leaned forward. "Do you see anything?"

"No, I don't see anything." He paused, thinking, then raised his hands slightly. "There's no feeling, per se. Look, I can't describe it. It just puts the information in my head."

Late that night, Elizabeth stepped out onto the tiny deck near the water. She smiled uncertainly when she saw him.

"Hey, I was hoping I'd find you here. Do you mind some company?"

Sheppard moved to an empty chair next to him and pointed to the one he just vacated. "No, have a seat."

"Thank you. Were you expecting me?"

He just nodded sideways and shrugged.

"Well, it's been quite a day." She sat down and looked out at the ocean and stars.

"Mmm."

"You must be tired." She tried to engage him.

"No, not really." He looked straight ahead at the water, but he wasn't watching the setting mass of stars tonight.

Elizabeth sat quietly for a few minutes, but it was not quite the comfortable silence they normally shared. There were questions she wanted to ask. She just wasn't sure how. It was rare for her to be at a loss for words.

Today changed a more than a few things. John had found and brought enough firepower back to defend Atlantis against a large-scale Wraith attack. Today, she saw flashes of real fear in some eyes when they looked at this man. She knew about the whispers that he was some kind of freak.

John had arrived at the outpost in Antarctica a total stranger to the Stargate and used the Ancient technology with startling ease and dexterity. He had charmed an ascended Ancient enough to bring her to Atlantis and reveal her true nature. Wild rumors had circulated for weeks after he came back from the Cloister. And, now, he "heard" the Ancient technology talking.

"Elizabeth?" She jumped even though he spoke quietly. "You wanted to ask me something?"

"Why didn't you say anything about the feedback effect before?"

"I didn't think anything of it. At first, I didn't know what it was then I just assumed everyone using the technology felt it to some degree or another." He seemed to be at a loss as well. "Besides, I can't describe it, Elizabeth. It's not an picture or words or anything. It's kind of freaky."

Elizabeth froze momentarily at his choice of words. "This happened in Antarctica, too?"

He looked up at the sky. "Yeah. It was really weird at first. I just thought it was supposed to be part of it."

"Does it help?" She gently prompted.

"Oh, sure it does." He glanced sideways at her. "Don't ask how. It just puts things in my head. I knew the drones were there and how to get them. That's it."

"But, not always?" She tried to see his expression in the darkness.

"No. Like I said yesterday, I need to have some idea of what I'm after. Look, Elizabeth, I'm sorry I didn't mention it before. To be honest, though, I don't think it would have changed anything."

"I know." Elizabeth spoke quietly. She thought for a moment then asked one more question. "John, is there anything else I should know?"

"No." He answered quickly. Then he looked back out at the ocean and said nothing for a long time. When he spoke again, she could hear uncertainty. "I don't know."

The End


End file.
